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Lan Xichen has no intention to marry...yet.
He knows the elders have been talking and keeping an eye out for prospective partners – usually maidens from well-reputable sects – but for all intents and purposes, he has no desire to marry as of yet.
It is not as if he is against the idea of a marriage, just that he much prefers a romantic matrimony born out of mutual love as compared to one born out of need and societal expectations. Perhaps one could consider him a hopeless romantic, especially someone of his position and background, but who could fault him when he grew up with stories of how his father defied the sect’s rules and expectations to marry a ‘forbidden’ woman? The notion of defying the sect rules that have governed every waking – and frankly, sleeping – moments of life in the Lan Sect for the sake of love is something Lan Xichen has dreamt about, but kept to himself.
Which is all to say, Lan Xichen is not in a hurry to tie himself down yet, but he knows the elders have been looking and that being sent to this year’s discussion conference is part of their plan.
You see, the discussion conference is being held at Meishan this year.
Unlike other discussion conferences, this year’s event is highly anticipated and the talk of the town, for no other reason than the fact that Meishan Yu is the only sect composed of predominantly female cultivators.
Addendum: beautiful and skillful female cultivators.
To marry one of the disciples is a wet dream for many men, both cultivators and common folk alike.
There is, however, just one little snag to their dreams: the Yu disciples require their partners to marry into their sect. A heretical idea, especially in a patriarchal society where many men are unable to put down their pride and status and become a dependent husband. They have resorted to many tactics – negotiation, coercion, abduction – to get the Yu disciples to marry otherwise, but unless the woman is willing, many of these men were met with vengeful downfalls.
Lan Xichen is blissfully uncaring about the marriage arrangement of the Yu Sect, because he is not considering marriage yet. This conference discussion will be no different from the past events that he attended.
~oOo~
Prior to leaving, Lan Qiren had warned him about exercising extreme propriety in the presence of the Yus, so as not to tarnish the Lans’ reputation for gentlemanly conduct.
So Lan Xichen brings with him gifts aplenty. Handmade silk and jewelry that have been stored in the Lan Sect’s vault for the longest time, likely gifted from past guests but for which the Lan Sect has no use for.
When he arrives, a beautiful young lady comes out to greet him and receive the gifts. She sports a mesmerizing set of violet eyes and fierce eyebrows that challenge the world. Despite the lower half of the face being covered by a thin shawl, she nevertheless exudes beauty and grace.
“Follow me.”
The young lady leads Lan Xichen to the guestroom.
Usually, Lan Xichen would be focused on surveying the surroundings and admiring the scenery. Meishan sits atop a high elevation, looking down upon a sea of clouds. Currently the spring season has brought with it lush vegetation. Numerous streams thread through the underbrush, converging further downstream into cascading waterfalls. However, Lan Xichen knows that the real charm of Meishan lies in the winter, when the frost hits and forms breathtakingly beautiful crystals on the trees. Once the waters have frozen over, they form pools of mirrors that reflect the blue sky above.
As beautiful as all these sound, Lan Xichen instead finds himself drawn to the voluptuous figure in front of him. He would be lying if he says that he isn’t attracted, though not necessarily in a lustful way as much as an appreciation for the beauty, akin to how a painter would appreciate the beauty around them. His eyes track the way the hair sways in tandem with her purposeful strides, the way her light purple robes contrast against the verdant background, and the way her hips sashay naturally with her movements.
“Young Master Lan, it’s good to see you again.”
Her voice rings clear and strong, holding none of the careful softness that young ladies of higher upbringing like to adopt. This is a woman who feels secure in her independence.
Lan Xichen breaks out of his reverie. “Pardon, you are...?” He racks his brain for memories of this young lady. One would think that such a beauty would leave impressionable memories, but he finds himself pulling nothing from said memories.
“...Surely you jest,” the woman turns around and regards Lan Xichen with a deadpan look.
“I would love to be joking, but at the moment I’m afraid I cannot recall where we’ve met.”
“Perhaps you would remember this,” the young lady piles her hair up in a compressed bun and strikes a boyish pose.
Lan Xichen’s eyes widened. Memories of a snot-nosed kid tailing him around Cloud Recesses during one of the conference discussions surfaced. He had played the role of a gracious older brother, inviting the kid to his residence to play with Wangji. Suffice to say, the two didn’t like one another. Even though Wangji might not show it, he could tell the boy was upset. Likewise, the kid had tears brimming in his eyes, insisting that Lan Xichen should be his one and only gege. They would fight in their own silent way (one being restricted by the rules of his sect, the other not daring to overstep the boundary of a guest) throughout the entire discussion conference. For example, Wangji would intentionally ask Lan Xichen to play in locations that were forbidden to outsiders. The kid would double down by grabbing Wangji’s seat during mealtimes or cling onto Lan Xichen when Wangji left for training.
Correction, not him. The kid was a her.
“Wanyin? You’re Wanyin?”
“The one and only,” Yu Wanyin grins, a small dimple appearing on one of the corners of her mouth. “Glad to meet you again, Young Master Lan. Or should I call you gege?”
Lan Xichen feels his heart flutter when he hears the familiar title. Strange. This is not the first time that Wanyin has used the title, but learning that Yu Wanyin is a woman changes things (it shouldn’t, but it did). People say that a woman will undergo drastic changes when they grow up, but he didn’t expect the changes to be so big.
Both figuratively and literally.
Lan Xichen’s eyes stray down to the twin mounds standing proudly on Yu Wanyin’s chest.
Very big indeed.
Realizing where he has been staring, Lan Xichen chokes out a “Good to see you again and good day” and flees in the general direction of what he thinks is the guest rooms.
~oOo~
The conference is scheduled for half a month.
Throughout the week, Yu Wanyin accompanies the guests around the premises, showing them the best parts of Meishan.
Lan Xichen knows that all this is part of the process, a move to establish her role and standing as the future sect leader. But he would be lying if he doesn’t feel a twinge of annoyance every time he catches one of the guests eyeing Yu Wanyin with desire. It seems that every man in the conference has their eyes set on her, which makes Lan Xichen very, very displeased. More than once he finds himself discreetly stepping in between Yu Wanyin and the guests when they stray too close to the woman. He might have inserted himself into one too many conversations, drawing the focus of the conversation – and by proxy Yu Wanyin’s attention – onto himself. A few times, Yu Wanyin spares him a smile of gratitude. These were the times when the men got a bit too forthcoming and they were spared a painful lashing (from the Meishan Yu disciples and possibly Yu Wanyin herself) due to Lan Xichen’s intrusion.
Lan Xichen knows that he is breaking the Lan Sect’s rule on etiquette, but he swears that he is just protecting a lady’s honor. Nothing more, nothing less!
What he doesn’t anticipate is that the person breaking Yu Wanyin’s honor would ultimately be himself.
~oOo~
It is an accident, albeit an unfortunate one.
Lan Xichen finds himself tossing and turning in his bed, unable to sleep. Again. His poor state of sleep has been the norm since he arrived at the Yu Sect. More specifically, since he catches sight of Yu Wanyin.
Every time he closes his eyes, he is burdened by the thoughts of that woman. He would recall the way Yu Wanyin commands attention wherever she goes and the way she speaks with authority amidst a room full of men.
On these nights, it has taken Lan Xichen longer than usual to fall asleep, and even then, she plagues his dreams. Flashes of creamy skin and firm thighs haunt his deepest slumber, and t’was many a morning that Lan Xichen found himself having to rush to the bath.
On one such insomniac night, Lan Xichen decides to head outside to clear his mind. Back in Cloud Recesses, he would frequent the Cold Spring when his thoughts were troubled.
Lan Xichen dons on a light robe and ventures out, carefully avoiding the sleeping quarters so as to not alarm anyone. He retraces the route that Yu Wanyin had shown him the other day, until he hears running water ahead. This is an isolated area far from the main buildings, perfect for some alone time to meditate.
The pebbled path takes him to a clear spring with a panoramic view of the full moon dangling in the sky. With how high the mountain is, the moon seems to be only a hand’s reach away. Thousands of stars adorn the black cloak of the night, forming breathtaking constellations among the milky way.
But what takes Lan Xichen’s breath away is the sight of a fairy dancing on the waters, the moonlight casting a soft silver glow around her naked frame. The fairy twirls and dips, skimming the surface of the water, every inch of her skin bared to the world to see.
A world that is meant to be empty and void of people.
Lan Xichen knows he is intruding, but couldn’t find it in himself to leave. He has chanced upon something wonderful, a sight that would engrain itself forever in his mind.
The fairy leaps and kneels, her slim waist and supple legs bending at angles that would make even the most flexible street performer envious. With a flick of the wrist, purple lightning springs off her fingers, carving a perfect arc that mirrors the moon above.
No. This is not a fairy. It is then Lan Xichen realizes that this person is Yu Wanyin. The purple lightning is part of the Meishan Yu sect leader’s heirloom. He has just caught the future Meishan Yu sect leader training in the middle of the night. A punishable misconduct for spying on another sect’s training uninvited.
Yet he finds himself unable to tear his eyes away from that lovely sight.
Yu Wanyin is the perfect balance between beauty and deadly power. She has her eyes closed in rapture as she concentrates on executing every move with lethal precision. Zidian flicks out, leaving lightly charred marks on the nearby rocks. In another flick, the whip cuts through droplets of water in the air.
As much as Lan Xichen knows how dangerous Zidian is, he also finds it extremely sensual; the way it curls around Yu Wanyin’s body, sliding along her arms and hips without harming its owner. One could hardly look away from the way some of the purple sparks land on her skin, highlighting the softness of her body. If only he could reach out a hand to trace that softness, just as Zidian traces across her body.
On and on Yu Wanyin steps across the spring, barely disturbing the surface as she moves. She is a fairy, a goddess, an embodiment of Meishan that guards this land.
And just for as long Lan Xichen stands there, completely mesmerized.
Finally, Yu Wanyin ends her practice with a well-timed leap and twirl in the air, only to land right in front of her unexpected audience, startling the both of them out of their trance.
“The hell—!?” Yu Wanyin gasps and loses her footing.
“Careful!” Lan Xichen reaches out instinctively to grab the woman.
In her effort to right herself, Yu Wanyin grabs onto the nearest thing within reach: Lan Xichen’s forehead ribbon.
A loud splash accompanies the both of them as they land in the water.
“I’m sorry! So, so sorry!” Lan Xichen splutters, covering his face behind his soaked sleeves while scrambling to get off of the poor woman. He is acutely aware of just how warm and lithe her body is and oh, how soft her bosoms are pressed against him. They are definitely softer than he’d imagined.
“Hey—” Yu Wanyin sounds panicked as well. “Stop!”
Bzzt.
Lan Xichen freezes as he feels something loosen around his head. He touches his forehead gingerly and finds it empty.
“...I don’t suppose I can pretend to tie this back now, can I?” Yu Wanyin holds up the forehead ribbon that has become entangled with Zidian (for the first time, Lan Xichen is jealous of a ribbon and the way it wraps around her wrist).
Belatedly, the whole fiasco dawns on Yu Wanyin. A man outside of her family has seen her body (even touched it!) without any covers. An act that is only reserved for her future husband.
In her hand is the Lan Sect ribbon, bestowed only upon the Lan disciples’ future spouse.
The both of them have to marry the other per their sects’ traditions.
The question being: who would marry into whose sect?